Urban Planning

A streetcar named disaster? Debate ensues as latest project debuts

Charlotte’s new streetcar system had a rough first week as it finds itself at the center of a broader discussion about the transportation mode

The Life and Death of the Urban Highway

Houston isn’t alone. A growing number of cities are tearing down infrastructure that cuts through downtown.

OKC Mayor urges cities to have “high standards”

Quality-of-life, he argues, is the most effective economic development tool a place can have.

Houston debuts traffic box “mini-murals”

Program aims to bring public art to areas outside of the city core

How Oklahoma City's mayor got his city off "the list"

Mick Cornett to discuss the link between urban planning and public health June 30.

The fastest growing city in America? You will never believe.

Many cities in Texas are growing faster than cities across America, but you will never guess what city is growing the fastest.

‘Mixed-use’ is popular, but what does it mean?

Developers say as projects take hold in the suburbs, the term may need an updated definition.

Architecture firm explores how to 3D-print houses

Gensler, the San Francisco-based design and architecture firm, says it’s working with a Chinese company to explore the possibility of producing homes using massive 3D-printers.

How Oklahoma City’s mayor put his city on a diet

Most communities are delighted to make any of the “top city” lists that have become ubiquitous in the media in recent years.

Can a building’s design promote healthy lifestyles?

For more than a decade, developers competed to brand their buildings as “green,” betting that tenants would pay a premium for a structure with energy-efficient features that could save money and or garner positive PR.

Q&A with Rose Gowen: How Brownsville is fighting public obesity and making a more vibrant city

Rose Gowen is a city commissioner and OB-GYN in Brownsville, a city of 180,000 that sits just north of the Texas-Mexico border. The greater Brownsville area has the highest poverty rate in the country – 35 percent – which has contributed to an obesity and diabetes epidemic. Gowen spoke with the Kinder Institute’s Ryan Holeywell about how the city is trying to combat a public health crisis. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Cities tap university expertise to cure urban ills

They’re trying to make “big data” more than a catch phrase.

Can you design a city by playing with toys? James Rojas thinks so.

Most adults aren’t interested in playing with toys. James Rojas hopes to change their minds. After all, he says, the future of their cities might depend on it.

Pierce Elevated May Go Back to the Future

Could Houston reconnect its downtown grid? If a new TxDOT plan for I-45 gets approved, midtown and downtown would look a lot more like they did in 1962.